Trip Report to Morni and surround areas

A Report from birdtours.co.uk

Morni, Kasasuli, Kalesar National Park and Panipat Oil Refinery, Suresh C. Sharma

13 April 05 Left Sonipat at 0630 hrs
Arrive Berwala Bird Safari at 0930 hrs
Birding till 1230 hrs
Lunch at Greenpark
Birding Ghaggar River valley
Reach Chandrawal Lodge, Morni Hills at 1430 hrs
Tea at Chandrawal Lodge
Birding along the main trail from the Lodge to the Mountain
Quail Road
Return to the Lodge at 1930 hrs
Dinner and rest at the lodge

14 April 05 Leave for Tikkar Tal at 0600 hrs (9 kms from Chandrawal Lodge)
Return to Chandrawal by 1000 hrs.
Birding along the main trail from Mountain Quail side to the Lodge 1030-1230 hrs
Lunch and rest at Chandrawal
Drive upto Serla Tal beyond Morni village at 1330 hrs
Return to the Chandrawal Lodge by 1830 hrs.
Dinner and Rest at Chandrawal

15 April 05 Leave Chandrawal for Berwala at 0600 hrs
Reach Berwala at 0800 hrs
Leave Berwala 1200 hrs
Reach Kasauli 1430 hrs
Check in Hotel Maidens and rest there till 1600 hrs
Birding upto Monkey Point and back till 1900 hrs
Dinner and Stay at Hotel Maidens

16 Apr 05 Birding Kasauli 0600 to 1030 hrs
Leave Kasauli at 1100 hrs
Drive while birding Kumarhatti-Nahan-Paonta Sahib
Check in Tajewala Irrigation Rest House (Kalesar) 2000 hrs
Dinner and rest at the rest house

17 Apr 05 Leave Tajewala at 0600 hrs
Birding Kalesar National Park till 1000 hrs
A quick scan of Bata river from the Barapul bridge
Leave Kalesar 1130 hrs
Drive Yamunanagar-Ladwa-Indri-Karnal
Birding Panipat Refinery Wetland 1530-1630 hrs
Reach Sonipat/Delhi by 1830 hrs.

Where to stay:

For Morni (1) Chandrawal Kunj Lodge at Morni Hills. Serves meals.
(2) Mountain Quail Tourist Complex at Morni Hills. Serves meals.

For Kasauli (1) Hotel Maidens, Kasauli
There are lot of hotels at Kasauli

For Kalesar National Park

(1) Kalesar Forest Rest House
(2) Hathini Kund Irrigation Rest House
(3) Tajewala Irrigation Rest House - Advance booking is necessary. Serve meals.
(4) Hotel Lord Shiva - serve meals.

Weather: Morni - cool
Kasauli - cooler
Kalesar - warm

Vehicle: Hired AC Tata Indica

Co-birder : Amano Samarpan.

List of Birds

1. Grey Francolins - Berwala
2. Black Francolin -
3. Red Junglefowl - Berwala, Morni, Kalesar
4. Kalij Pheasant - one female flushed out at Kasauli on the Grewal Path
5. Indian Peafowl - Berwala, Panipat and Kalesar
6. Ruddy Shelduck - Kalesar (Hathini Kund Barrage)
7. Spot-billed Duck - Kalesar (Hathini Kund Barrage)
8. Speckled Piculet - Kasauli
9. Grey-capped Pygmy Woodpecker - Morni
10. Brown-fronted Woodpecker - Kasauli
11. Fulvous-breasted Woodpecker - Kasauli
12. Himalayan Flameback - Morni
13. Greater Flameback - Kalesar
14. Great Barbet - Berwala, Morni, Kasauli
15. Brown-headed Barbet - Berwala, Morni and Kalesar
16. Blue-throated Barbet - Morni
17. Coppersmith Barbet - Berwala, Morni and Kalesar
18. Indian Grey Hornbill - Kalesar
19. Great Hornbill - Kalesar
20. Common Hoopoe - Berwala, Morni
21. Indian Roller - Kalesar
22. Quail - unidentified quail at Morni for a fleeting moment, possibly Jungle Bush-quail
23. Common Kingfisher - Kalesar, Panipat
24. White-throated Kingfisher - Berwala, Morni, Kalesar and Panipat
25. Pied Kingfisher - Kalesar, Panipat
26. Blue-bearded Bee-eater - Berwala
27. Green Bee-eater - Berwala
28. Blue-tailed Bee-eater - Berwala
29. Chestnut-headed Bee-eater - Kalesar
30. Common Hawk-Cuckoo - Morni, Kasauli and Kalesar
31. Eurasian Cuckoo - Kalesar
32. Asian Koel - all
33. Alexandrine Parakeet - all
34. Rose-ringed Parakeet - all
35. Plum-headed Parakeet - all
36. House Swift - Berwala, Morni, Panipat, Kalesar
37. Asian Barred Owlet - Kasauli and Nahan
38. Spotted Owlet - Kalesar
39. Rock Pigeon - all
40. Oriental Turtle Dove - Morni and Kasauli
41. Laughing Dove - all
42. Spotted Dove - Berwala, Kasauli, Morni and Kalesar
43. Red Collared Dove - Panipat
44. Eurasian Collared Dove - all
45. Yellow-footed Green Pigeon - Berwala
46. Wedge-tailed Green Pigeon - Heard at Kalesar (doubtful)
47. White-breasted Waterhen - Berwala, Panipat
48. Purple Swamphen - Panipat
49. Common Moorhen - Panipat
50. Common Coot - Panipat
51. Common Snipe - Panipat
52. Black-tailed Godwit - Panipat
53. Spotted Redshank - Panipat
54. Marsh Sandpiper - Panipat, Kalesar
55. Common Greenshank - Kalesar
56. Green Sandpiper - Panipat, Kalesar
57. Little Stint - Panipat
58. Temminck's Stint - Panipat
59. Curlew Sandpiper - Panipat
60. Ruff - Panipat
61. Black-winged Stilt - Panipat, Kalesar and Morni (Tikkar Tal)
62. Little Ringed Plover - Panipat
63. Red-wattled Lapwing - All
64. River Tern - Panipat
65. Black-shouldered Kite - Panipat, Kalesar
66. Black Kite - all
67. Brahminy Kite - Panipat
68. Egyptian Vulture - all
69. White-rumped Vultures - Berwala, Morni, Kasauli and Kalesar
70. Indian Vultures - Berwala, Morni
71. Himalayan Griffon - Kasauli
72. Cinereous Vulture - Morni
73. Short-toed Snake Eagle - Berwala
74. Crested Serpent Eagle - Kalesar
75. Shikra - Berwala, Kalesar, Panipat
76. Oriental Honey-Buzzard - Berwala and Kalesar
77. Common Kestrel - Berwala
78. Little Grebe - Morni (Tikkar Tal) and Panipat
79. Darter - Panipat
80. Little Cormorant - Kalesar, Morni (Tikkar Tal) and Panipat
81. Great Cormorant - Panipat
82. Little Egret - Morni (Tikkar Tal), Kalesar and Panipat
83. Grey Heron - Panipat, Kalesar
84. Purple Heron - Panipat
85. Great Egret - Panipat
86. Intermediate Eaglet - Panipat, Kalesar
87. Cattle Egret - Panipat
88. Indian Pond Heron - Kalesar, Panipat
89. Little Heron - Kalesar (Bata river bridge)
90. Painted Stork -Kalesar (Hathini Kund Barrage)
91. Asian Openbill - Kalesar
92. Golden-fronted Leafbird - Kalesar
93. Bay-backed Shrike - Panipat
94. Long-tailed Shrike - Panipat, Kasauli, Morni, Kalesar
95. Red-billed Blue Magpie - Morni and Kasauli
96. Rufous Treepie - all
97. Grey Treepie – Morni and Kasauli
98. House Crow - all
99. Large-billed Crow - all Eurasian Golden Oriole - all
100. Large Cuckooshrike - Morni, Berwala, Kalesar
101. Small Minivet - Berwala, Morni, Kalesar
102. Long-tailed Minivet - Morni and Kasauli
103. Scarlet Minivet - Morni and Kasauli
104. Bar-winged Flycatcher-shrike - Morni
105. White-throated Fantail - Morni and Kasauli
106. White-browed Fantail - Berwala, Kalesar
107. Black Drongo - all
108. Ashy Drongo - Morni and Kasauli
109. Asian Paradise Flycatcher - Berwala
110. Common Iora - Berwala, Kalesar
111. Common Woodshrike - all
112. Blue-capped Rock Thrush - Morni and Kasauli
113. Blue Whistling Thrush - Berwala, Morni and Kasauli
114. Red-throated Flycatcher - Berwala, Morni
115. Verditer Flycatcher - Kasauli
116. Small Niltava - Kalesar
117. Blue-throated Flycatcher - Berwala
118. Tickell's Blue Flycatcher - Berwala
119. Grey-headed Canary Flycatcher - Kasauli
120. Oriental Magpie Robin - all
121. Indian Robin - all
122. Black Redstart - Morni and Berwala
123. White-capped Water Redstart - Morni (Gaggar bridge)
124. Siberian Stonechat - Panipat
125. Pied Bushchat - all
126. Grey Bushchat - Morni and Kasauli
127. Brown Rock-chat - all
128. Brahminy Starling - Panipat
129. Rosy Starling - Panipat
130. Asian Pied Starling - Kalesar and Panipat
131. Common Myna - all
132. Bank Myna - Panipat
133. Chestnut-bellied Nuthatch - Morni and Kasauli
134. Bar-tailed Treecreeper - Kasauli
135. Great Tit - Berwala, Morni, Kasauli and Kalesar
136. Black-throated Tit - Kasauli
137. Plain Martin - Berwala, Kalesar and Panipat
138. Dusky Crag Martin - Kalesar
139. Barn Swallow - Morni
140. Wire-tailed Swallow - Kalesar
141. Red-rumped Swallow - all
142. Streaked-throated Swallow - Kalesar and Panipat
143. Himalayan Bulbul - Berwala, Morni, Kasauli and Kalesar
144. Red-vented Bulbul - all
145. Black Bulbul - Morni
146. Striated Prinia - Morni and Kasauli
147. Grey-breasted Prinia - Berwala, Morni, Kasauli and Kalesar
148. Yellow-bellied Prinia - Panipat
149. Ashy Prinia - Berwala, Kalesar and Panipat
150. Plain Prinia - Kalesar
151. Graceful Prinia -Panipat
152. Oriental White-eye - all
153. Common Tailorbird - all
154. Brownish-flanked Bush Warbler - did not see but heard a song 'wheeeeee eeyoo' being responded by another bird across the valley in Berwala on both days - doubtful
155. Lesser Whitethroat (minula) - Kalesar
156. Lesser Whitethroat (althea) - Morni
157. Paddyfield Warbler - Panipat
158. Blyth's Reed Warbler - Berwala
159. Clamorous Warbler - Panipat
160. Common Chiffchaff - Berwala, Morni and Kalesar
161. Mountain Chiffchaff - Morni and Kasauli (doubtful)
162. Sulphur-bellied Warbler - Berwala, Morni and Kasauli
163. Lemun-rumped Warbler - Kasauli
164. Hume's Warbler - Berwala, Morni, Kasauli and Kalesar
165. Greenish Warbler - Berwala, Morni, Kasauli and Kalesar
166. Tytler's Leaf Warbler - Morni and Kasauli (cannot be 100% sure)
167. Western-crowned Warbler - Kasauli
168. Grey-hooded Warbler - Morni, Kasauli
169. Streaked-throated Laughingthrush - Kasauli
170. Puff-throated Babbler - Berwala, Morni and Kalesar
171. Rusty-cheeked Scimitar Babbler - Berwala, Morni, Kasauli and Kalesar
172. White-browed Scimitar Babbler - Berwala and Morni
173. Yellow-eyed Babbler - Morni (Gaggar bridge and Tikkar tal)
174. Common Babbler - Kalesar
175. Large Grey Babbler - Berwala, Kalesar and Panipat
176. Jungle Babbler - all
177. Red-billed Leiothrix -Kasauli
178. Thick-billed Flowerpecker - Kalesar
179. Purple Sunbird - all
180. Crimson Sunbird - Berwala and Morni
181. House Sparrow - all
182. Russet Sparrow - Morni and Kasauli
183. Chestnut-shouldered Petronia - all
184. White Wagtail - Kalesar, Panipat
185. White-browed Wagtail - Morni (Tikkar Tal), Panipat and Kalesar
186. Citrine Wagtail - Morni (Tikkar Tal), Kalesar and Panipat
187. Yellow Wagtail - Panipat
188. Grey Wagtail - Berwala
189. Paddyfield Pipit -Panipat
190. Tree Pipit - Berwala, Morni and Kalesar
191. Olive-backed Pipit - Morni and Kasauli
192. Red Avadavat - Panipat
193. Scaly-breasted Munia - Berwala
194. Common Rosefinch - Berwala, Morni and Kasauli
195. Crested Bunting - Berwala and Morni
196. White-capped Bunting - Morni